Refuse packer body



J. F. WEIR REFUSE PAc'KER BODY Filed Aug. 5, 1967 1 m h .0 5 c. R N 0 w Es T a T 3 J v w w H 1 4 Z M I L 6 w 1 H Z Z Y m .2 H h V z F M. H Z? a i h w a m u w 0 I REFUSE PACKER BODY Filed' Aug. s, 1967 SSheets-Sheet :5

U U I U H INVENTOR JAMES F.WE|R

'CZQMA/JJMM ATTOR E United States Patent 3,462,031 REFUSE PACKER BODY James F. Weir, New Holstein, Wis., assignor to Robert B. Evans, doing business as M-B Company, New Holstein, Wis.

Filed Aug. 3, 1967, Ser. No. 658,140 Int. Cl. 1365f 3/02 U.S. Cl. 214-518 14 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A packer body is shown mounted on a mobile chassis and including a container divided into an open forward loading compartment and a rear storage compartment having a discharge opening at the end of the container which is normally closed by a door. A bucket is pivotally mounted in the loading compartment and is movable by a hydraulic cylinder operating on a toggle linkage to shift the bucket between a lower position in which it receives refuse and an upper dumping position. A packer plate is pivotally supported in the container and is movable through an are from a normal position closing the passage between the storage and loading compartments to an upper position and then downwardly back to its normal position to sweep refuse from the bucket into the storage compartment and to compact the refuse. Such movement of the packer plate is accomplished by a hydraulic cylinder working on a toggle linkage. The packer plate is further movable into and through the storage compartment to discharge refuse through the discharge opening. This movement is accomplished by a further hydraulic cylinder which shifts the mounting of the hydraulic cylinder that operates the packer plate linkage. A safety door is also shown for the loading end, which door must be closed to permit a hydraulic control system to function to operate the hydraulic cylinders.

Background of the invention This invention relates to refuse packer bodies, and particularly to a packer body adapted to be mounted on a mobile chassis for in-plant collection, compaction, storage and disposal of refuse. I

The waste materials that are generated within manufacturing facilities must be continuously removed. Ithas been common practice in the past to collect such refuse in open containers or carts which, when full, are hauled to a dumping or disposal site. If refuse is simply thrown into a container or cart and not compacted beyond that which can be accomplished by hand, either very large containers will be required or it will be necessary to empty the containers at frequent intervals. Furthermore, open carts or containers afford no protection against the possibility of fire starting in the refuse which often contains highly combustible material, such as oil soaked rags.

The need exists for a mobile packer bodyfor in-plant use. The packer body of this invention is particularly suitable for such use. A packer body in accordance with this invention provides for high mechanical compaction of refuse so that a great amount of refuse can be accepted before it must be emptied. This permits a large capacity while keeping the size of the body down to a level in which it is maneuverable along the narrow aisles and through the congested areas commonly found in-plants. The packer body also provides for the sealing off of the compacted refuse. This, combined with the high degree of compaction, effectively reduces the risk of a fire in the refuse and would also prevent any fire which might start in the compacted refuse from spreading to the plant. That is, the fire can be isolated within the packer body.

3,452,031 Patented Aug. 19, 1969 For removal of the compacted refuse from the packer body, the common expedient of raising one end of the body for dumping of refuse by gravity cannot be used both because of the high degree of compaction and because of overhead clearance restrictions which may be found in many plants. Therefore, the packer body has provision for forced ejection of compacted refuse without raising one end of the body.

The packer body provides convenient loading of refuse by workmen and includes safety features to protect the workmen against injury.

Summary of the invention A packer body in accordance with this invention comprises a container divided into a storage compartment and a loading compartment connected by a passage, with a discharge opening, normally closed by a releasable door, leading into the storage compartment and a loading opening leading into the loading compartment, and a packet plate in the container which normally closes the passage to seal the storage compartment but which is movable to open the passage and to compact refuse from the loading compartment into the storage compartment.

The invention also contemplates the use of the packer plate to move into and through the storage compartment to eject refuse from the discharge opening, and the provision of a bucket in the loading compartment which is adapted to receive refuse and move it to a position in which the packer plate can force the refuse into the storage compartment.

Objects of the invention include the following:

To provide a packer body in which the compacted refuse is sealed in a storage compartment as a means of reducing the hazard of fire in the refuse.

To provide a compact refuse packer body having powered loading of refuse from a loading compartment of the body into a storage compartment and powered cornpaction and ejection of refuse.

To provide such a refuse packer body in which a bucket and a packer plate combine to move refuse from the loading compartment to the storage compartment and such packer plate is further movable in the storage compartment to compact refuse in the storage compartment and to eject refuse from the body.

To provide such a refuse packer body in which a direct opening may be afforded from the loading end into the storage compartment so that initial loads of refuse may be thrown directly into the storage compartment and large items may be accepted.

' To provide a refuse packer body having a safety door which must be closed over the open loading end of the body before the bucket or packer plate can be operated.

The foregoing and other objects and advantages of the invention will appear in the detailed description which follows. In the description reference will be made to the accompanying drawings which form a part hereof and in which there is shown by way of illustration one embodiment of the invention. Obviously, changes can be made in the embodiment shown without departing from the true scope of the invention.

Brief description of the drawings FIG. 1 is a view in perspective of a refuse body in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a view in vertical section of the refuse body of FIG. 1 showing operating elements in position for loading of refuse and depositing of refuse into a storage compartment of the body;

FIG. 3 is a view in vertical section similar to FIG. 2 butshowing operating elements in a refuse ejecting position;

3 FIG. 4 is a front end view partially in section taken in the plane of the lines 4-4 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a schematic view of a hydraulic control sys tem for the refuse packer body; and

FIG. 6 is a circuit diagram of the ignition system for the engine of the refuse body.

Description of the preferred embodiment The embodiment of the packer body shown and to be described is adapted to be towed rather than self-propelled. The refuse body includes a container formed of spaced fabricated side panels 10 stiifened by a lower longitudinal box member 11, an upper longitudinal box member 12, and vertical stilfeners 13. The edges of the side panels 10 at the front loading end are arcuate and have stilfening structural angles 14 secured thereto.

At the bottom of the loading end an angle plate 15 spans the side panels 10 and a transverse angle member 16 spans the top of the side panels 10 at a point intermediate their ends. At the rear of the body an upper transverse box member 17 spans the side panels 10 at the top thereof and a similar transverse box member (not shown) is disposed between the side panels 10 at the bottom.

The normally open rear discharge end of the body is closed by a suitable door 18 which, in the embodiment illustrated, depends from the upper transverse box member 17 on cooperating lugs 19 and 20. The door 18 is generally rectangular in cross section and provides some additional load capacity for the body.

The container is aflixed on its underside to a frame formed of spaced longitudinal channels 21 with transverse channels 22. Lugs 23 depend from the channels 21 and mount leaf spring 24 for a pair of pneumatic tire carriages.

A fabricated bucket 25 is disposed in the front end of the body between the side panels 10. The bucket 25 has a generally arcuate L-shaped cross section as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 and is secured along the edge of its long leg to a hollow shaft 26 disposed for rotation on a bucket shaft 27 journaled in the side panels 10. The bucket 25 is controlled by a hydraulic bucket cylinder 28 through a toggle joint linkage including spaced first bucket arms 29, each pinned at one end to the underside of the bucket 25, and spaced second bucket arms 30, each pinned at one end to a transverse channel 22. The free ends of the bucket arms 29 and 30 are pinned together and the rod 31 of the bucket cylinder 28 is pinned to the second bucket arms 30 at a point near the knee of the toggle joint linkage. The blind end of the cylinder 28 is pivotally supported on lugs mounted on a channel that spans the lower longitudinal box members 11. The bucket 25 is moved from a lower refuse receiving position (shown in full in FIG. 2) to an elevated dumping position (shown in dotted lines in FIG. 2) by expansion of the bucket cylinder 28-.

A fabricated packer plate 32 is supported along one edge on a hollow shaft 33 rotatably mounted on a packer plate shaft 34 journaled at its ends in the side panels 10. The packer plate 32 is of a length such that it can close the space between the bucket shaft 27 and the packer plate shaft 34 and is of a width equal to the distance between the interiors of the side panels 10.

Two pairs of crank levers 35 are mounted for rotation on the packer plate shaft 34. Each crank lever 35 includes a short leg 36 and a long leg 37 which projects from the short leg 36 above the attachment to the shaft 34. The packer plate 32 is moved relative to the crank levers 35 by toggle joint linkages that comprise first packer plate arms 38 pinned at one end to the free end of each long leg 37 and second packer plate arms 39 pinned at one end to the top of the packer plate 32. The arms 38 and 39 are pinned together at their free ends and also to the rods 40 of a pair of hydraulic plate cylinders 41. The blind ends of the plate cylinders 41 are pinned between the short legs 36 of the respective pairs of crank levers 35. The packer plate 32 is pivoted through an arc from an upper position (shown in full to FIG. 2) to a lower position (shown in dotted lines in FIG. 2) by expansion of the plate cylinders 41 to sweep the bucket 25 when the same is in its dumping position. The long leg of the bucket 25 is formed as a segment of a circular cylinder having its axis at the packer plate shaft 34 to facilitate the complete sweeping of the bucket 25 by the packer plate 32'.

A pair of hydraulic ejection cylinders 42 have their blind cylinder ends pivotally mounted on lugs 43 secured to a side of the upper transverse box member 17 and rods 44 of the ejection cylinders 42 are pinned between the short legs 36 of each of the pairs of crank levers 35.

The top of the container is closed by a roof 45- that extends from the packer plate shaft 34 rearwardly to the back end ofthe side panels 10. A curved floor 46 is disposed between the side panels 10 and extends from a point adjacent the bucket shaft 27 to the back end of the side panels. The floor 46 is formed as a segment of a circular cylinder having its axis at the packer plate shaft 34 so that the packer plate 32 will sweep the floor 46 as it moves through its are about the packer plate shaft 34. The container is thereby divided into a storage compartment defined by the roof 45, the floor 46 and the side panels 10 and an open end loading compartment forward of the storage compartment with the bucket 25 forming a floor of the loading compartment when the bucket is in its lowest position. The opening defined by the forward edges of the floor 46 and roof 45 constitutes a passage which connects the storage and loading compartments.

The door '18 is operated by a torsion spring 47 which is mounted in a known manner to raise the door 18 when the door is freed. The door 18 is normally held closed by a latch 48 that engages a latch plate 49 on the bottom of the door 18 and which may be released through a pull rod and linkage in a conventional manner.

The normal cycle of operation of the packer body begins with the bucket 25 in its lower refuse receiving position and with the packer plate 32 in position closing the opening to the storage compartment with the free end of the packer plate 32 adjacent the bucket shaft 27 to seal the storage compartment. The operators dump refuse into the loading compartment. After a suflicient load has been introduced, the refuse body cycles to transfer the refuse from the loading compartment to the storage compartment and this normal cycle begins with the raising of the packer plate 32 to its top position as shown in solid lines in FIG. 2. This is accomplished by feeding fiuid under pressure into the rod end of the plate cylinders 41 to retract the rods 40 and thereby collapse the linkages formed by the arms 38 and 39. Next, refuse in the loading compartment is moved to the storage compartment by raising the bucket 25 to its dumping position by feeding fluid under pressure to the blind end of the bucket cylinder 28 thereby extending the rod 31 and expanding the linkage formed by the arms 29 and 30. The packer plate 32 is then rotated about its shaft 34 to sweep refuse from the bucket 25 into the storage compartment. This action is accomplished by feeding fluid under pressure to the blind end of the plate cylinders 41 thereby extending the rods 40 and expanding the linkage of the arms 38 and 39. When fully expanded the linkage will position the packer plate 32 across the passage to the storage compartment to reclose the same. The bucket 25 is then returned to its refuse receiving position for acceptance of additional loads of refuse.

Compaction of the refuse in the storage compartment is realized whenever the packer plate 32 sweeps additional refuse into the nominally filled storage compartment. The main packing and compaction is performed as the packer plate 32 sweeps from its top position to its position across the passage. During such sweep, the load of packing exerts a tremendous pressure on the linkage of the arms 38 and 39, and the reaction load is taken by the angle member 16. Thus, a great compaction force can be exerted on the refuse. Initial compaction may be accomplished by moving the packer plate into the storage compartment under control of the ejection cylinders 42. That is, with the linkage of the packer plate arms 38 and 39 fully expanded fluid under pressure is fed to the blind ends of the ejection cylinders 42 thereby extending the rods 44 thereof to rotate the crank levers 35. This also rotates the packer plate 32 through the expanded linkage of the arms 38 and 39 so that the packer plate 32 will move through the storage compartment to compact refuse therein. Ejection of refuse from the body is also accomplished by rotation of the packer plate 32 by the ejection cylinders 42. The full eject position of the packer plate 32 is shown in FIG. 3.

To return the packer plate 32 for a subsequent normal cycle of operation, fluidunder pressure is fed to the rod end of the ejection cylinders 42 thereby rotating the crank levers 35 and the packer plate 32 about the packer plate shaft 34. This action is checked by the transverse angle member 16 which also acts as a stop for the ends of the long leg 37 of the crank levers 35.

Although the above described is the normal cycle of operation, advantage can be obtained by interrupting the normal cycle by stopping the packer plate in its top position so that the bucket 25'and packer plate 32 oocupy the positions shown in solid lines in FIG. 2. This has the effect of providing an unrestricted opening from the loading end into the storage compartment and the operator can throw refuse directly into the storage compartment. This could normally be done when the body is empty or nearly empty and the packer plate 32 can periodically be employed to push the refuse to the rear of the storage compartment. This speeds the loading by reducing the number of cycling operations of the bucket 25 and packer plate 32. It also permits accommodating items of refuse that are too large to be handled by the bucket 25. After the body begins to be filled with semipacked material by the above described method, then considerably more refuse can be loaded by the normal method of loading the bucket and cycling the bucket and packer late.

p Referring to FIG. 5, there is shown therein a hydraulic cylinder control system for the cylinders which controls the operation of the bucket 25 and the packer plate 32 in the desired sequence and manner as previously described. The hydraulic control system is actuated by a control shaft 50 journaled in the side panels and carrying a control lever 51 on one projecting end thereof. Secured to the control shaft 50 at spaced intervals are five arms 52 which are connected by forked end adjustable links 53 to five spools of a main control valve 54. The arms 52 control, in order from the left in FIG. 5, an eject spool 55, a plate raise spool 56, a bucket raise spool 57, a plate sweep spool 58, and a bucket return spool 59. The arm 52 controlling the eject spool 55 is disposed physically out of phase from the remaining arms 52 on the shaft 50 so that the eject spool 55 is actuated by being pushed into the control valve 54 when the control shaft 50 is rotated counterclockwise as viewed in FIG. 2 and the other spools are actuated by being pulled out when the control shaft 50 is rotated clockwise.

Hydraulic fluid is supplied under pressure to the control valve 54.from a reservoir 60 by a pump 61 driven by a gasoline engine 62. An eject port 63 connected to the blind ends of the ejection cylinders 42 is controlled by the eject spool 55 and the eject port 63 is normally open to the reservoir 60 but is opened to fluid under pressure when the eject spool 55 is pushed inwardly. The plate raise spool 56 controls a plate raise port 64 and a-plate exhaust port 65. The packer raise port 64 is normally open to the reservoir 60 and is open to fluid under pressure when the plate raise spool 56 is actuated. The Plate exhaust port 65 is normally closed but is open to the reservoir 60 when the spool 56 is actuated.

The bucket raise spool 57 controls a bucket raise port 66 which is normally open to the reservoir 60 and which is open to fluid under pressure when the spool 57 is actuated. The plate sweep spool 58 controls a plate sweep port 67 which is normally closed to the reservoir 60 and is open to fluid under pressure when the plate sweep spool 58 is actuated, and a bucket exhaust port 68 which is normally closed but which is open to the reservoir 60 when the spool 58 is actuated. Finally, a bucket return port 69 is controlled by the bucket return spool 59 and is normally open to the reservoir 60 but is open to fluid under pressure by the extension of the spool 59.

Each of the spools 56, 57, 58 and 59 has an associated pilot controlled detent mechanism 70 which cocks the respective spool in an extended, actuated position. Ex-

tending each of the spools through the master control valve 54 will block the flow of fluid under pressure to succeeding speeds. For example, when extended the plate raise spool 56 blocks the flow of fluid under pressure beyond the ports 64 and 65.

The plate raise port 64 is connected to the free flow side of a packer plate pilot controlled check valve 71, the controlled flow side of which is connected to the rod ends of the plate cylinders 41 and also to a free flow side of a cross-over check valve 72. The controlled flow side of the cross-over check valve 72 is connected to the rod ends' of the ejection cylinders 42 and also to the controlled flow side of an ejection pilot controlled check valve 73 having its free flow side leading to the reservoir 60. A pilot line 74 also connects the eject port 63 to the pilot side of the ejection check valve 73.

The plate exhaust port 65 and the plate sweep port 67 are both connected to the blind ends of the plate cylinders 41 and to a pilot line 75 leading to the pilot side of the packer plate check valve 71. The bucket raise port 66 is connected to the free flow side of a bucket pilot controlled check valve 76 which has its controlled flow side leading to the blind end of the bucket cylinder 28. The bucket exhaust port 68 and the bucket return port 69 are both connected to the rod end of the bucket cylinder 28 and also to the pilot line 77 which leads to the pilot side of the bucket check valve 76.

To operate the control system through a normal cycle the control shaft 50 is rotated clockwise to extend the spools 56, 57, 58 and 59. This action will simultaneously cock all four automatic cycling spools 56, 57, 58 and 59 which will be held in an extended position by the corresponding value detent mechanisms 70. The eject spool 55 will not be actuated because of the out-of-phase relationship of its arm 52 with the arms 52 for the remainder of the spools. The following operations occur automatically after the spools 56, 57, '58 and 59 are cocked: Fluid flows under pressure from the plate raise port 64 through the packer plate check valve 71 to the rod ends of the plate cylinders 41 and through the crossover check valves 72 to the rod ends of the ejection cylinders 42, thereby retracting and raising the packer plate 32 to its uppermost position. Fluid is exhausted from the blind ends of the ejection cylinders 42 through the eject port 63 and from-the blind ends of the plate cylinders 41 through the plate exhaust port 65 to the reservoir 60. When the packer plate 32 has reached the top of its arc, the pressure in the main control valve 54 will increase thereby triggering the detent mechanism 70 for the plate raise spool 56 to release that spool and return it to a neutral position.

Next, fluid will flow from the bucket raise port 66 through the bucket check valve 76 to the blind end of the bucket cylinder 28 and fluid will be exhausted from the rod end of such cylinder 28 through the bucket exhaust port 68, thereby raising the bucket 25 to its upper dumping position, at which time the bucket cylinder 28 will have reached the end of its stroke. Again, the line pres sure will rise to trip the corresponding detent mechanism 70 and release the bucket raise spool 57 when the bucket reaches the end of its arc. Fluid under pressure will then flow from the plate sweep port 67 to the blind ends of the plate cylinders 41 and fluid will be exhausted from the rod ends thereof through the packer plate check valve 71 which will be opened by the pressure of the fluid in the pilot line 75 and the exhausted fluid can flow through the plate raise port 64 to the reservoir 60. The plate cylinders 41 are thereby extended to move the packer plate 32 through an arc to sweep the bucket 25. The end of the stroke of the plate cylinders 41 causes release of the detent mechanism 70 for the spool 58. Finally, fluid under pressure passes from the bucket re turn port 69 to the rod end of the bucket cylinder 28 and fluid is exhausted from the blind end thereof through the bucket check valve 76 which is opened by the pressure of fluid in the pilot line 77. The exhausted fluid flows through the bucket exhaust port 66. This causes the bucket cylinder 28 to return the bucket 25 to its refuse receiving position and the normal cycle is ready to begin anew.

To move the packer plate 32 beyond its position closing the storage compartment either for further compaction of refuse in the body or for ejection of refuse from the body, the control shaft is rotated in a counterclockwise direction to push inwardly the eject spool and thereby open the eject port 63. Fluid under pressure will then flow to the blind ends of the ejection cylinders 42 and will flow from the rod ends thereof through the eject check valve 73 which is opened by the pressure in the pilot line 74. This will cause the ejection cylinders 42 to extend in the amount desired up to their full stroke. Since the eject spool 55 is not provided with a detent mechanism it is necessary to manually hold the control shaft 59 in the actuating position until the desired position of the packer plate 32 has been reached. As part of a normal cycle the packer plate 32 will be returned from any position to its uppermost position as soon as the spool 56 is extended because the cross-over check valves 72 will connect the rod ends of both the eject cylinders 42 and the plate cylinders 41 to fluid under pressure.

The action of a normal cycle can be stopped at any point by jerking the control shaft 50 to release the detent mechanisms and thereby release the spools. This method is employed to halt a normal cycle after the packer plate 32 has been raised to its uppermost position so that an unobstructed opening is provided to the storage compartment. The normal cycle can thereafter be resumed by again moving the control shaft 50.

A sliding safety door 78 is provided to close the loading end of the body during the operation of a normal loading cycle so that operators are not endangered by the rising bucket 25. The safety door 78 is formed of expanded metal and is provided with spaced rollers 79 on each lateral edge that travel in tracks 80 formed immediately inside the arcuate ends of the side panels 10. The door 78 can be moved in the tracks 80 between an upper position (see FIG. 2) in which it does not interfere with loading operations and a lower position (see FIG. 3) in which it effectively closes the loading end. Provision is also made to insure that the safety door 78 is lowered before the bucket 25 can be raised and this may take the form of a safety circuit operable on the ignition system of the gasoline engine 62.

Referring to FIG. 6, the gasoline engine 62 has a magneto-ignition system in which one side of the primary winding 81 is grounded and the other side leads through the breaker points 82 to ground. In conventional manner, a capacitor 83 and a normally open ignition switch 84 are each in parallel with the magneto winding 81. To this is added a door switch 85 and a pressure switch 36 in series with each other and in parallel with the magneto winding 81. The door switch is normally closed but is ill disposed adjacent the low point of one track 80 so as to be opened when the door 78 is lowered and closes the loading end. The pressure switch 86 is responsive to pressure in the hydraulic control system and is open at low pressures and closes at high fluid pressures. Thus, if the door 78 is in place closing the loading end, the door switch 85 will be open and the magneto winding 81 will not be short-circuited. However, should the door 78 be raised so that the door switch 85 is closed and the operator then attempts to raise the bucket 25, the pressure demand on the hydraulic system will close the pressure switch 86 and the magneto winding will be shortcircuited to stop the engine 62 and prevent the operation of the hydraulic system. Obviously, the hydraulic system may be powered by an electric motor and the door switch 85 can function to open the circuit to the motor when the door is open.

It will be seen that the packer body permits isolation of the storage compartment by means of the packer plate closing the passage between the storage compartment and the forward loading compartment. Thus, the storage compartment is eifectively sealed. The packer body can be further enclosed by uses of a solid loading door (not shown) in place of the safety door 78 such loading door being hinged at its upper edge across the top of the packer body in a conventional manner. Such a loading door can also trigger a safety switch, similar to the switch 85, when the door is closed so that the hydraulic system cannot be operated unless the loading door is closed.

Packer bodies may be stationed adjacent assembly lines or at other strategic points, and when filled may be moved to large disposal containers or incinerators, singly or in trains. Or, one or more packer bodies may be moved around the plant collecting refuse from stationary containers. The packer body provides one etficient and safe means of collecting refuse within or without plants.

I claim:

1. A refuse packer body comprising: a container divided into a storage compartment and a loading compartment connected by a passage, said container having a discharge opening leading .into said storage compartment and a loading opening leading into said loading compartment; a releasable door on said container normally closing said discharge opening; a packer plate pivotally mounted in said container substantially intermediate the storage compartment, said packer plate normally closing said passage to seal said storage compartment and being movable to open said passage, to compact refuse from said loading compartment into said storage compartment and to reclose said passage, and being further movable into and through said storage compartment to further compact refuse therein and to force refuse from said storage compartment out of said discharge opening; and actuable means for moving said packer plate.

2. A refuse packer body in accordance with claim 1 wherein said container has spaced side panels, and a floor and a roof extending between said side panels to define said storage compartment, and wherein said packer plate extends between said side panels and from said roof to said floor to seal said storage compartment.

3. A refuse packer body in accordance with claim 2 wherein said packer plate is pivotally mounted between said side panels at said roof, and wherein said floor is curved and is defined as a segment of a circular cylinder having its axis at the pivotal mounting of said packer plate, whereby said packer plate is moved through an arc and sweeps said floor as said packer plate is moved refuse from said bucket into said storage compartment when said bucket is in said dumping position.

4. A refuse packer body in accordance with claim 1 together with a bucket movably mounted in said loading compartment, and actuable means for moving said bucket between a refuse receiving position and a dumping position; and wherein said packer plate is movable to push refuse from said bucket into said storage compartment when said bucket is in said dumping position.

5. A refuse packer body comprising: a container having spaced side panels, an open loading end, an opposite, open discharge end closed by releasable door, and a floor and a roof extending from said discharge end between said side panels and defining a storage compartment with said side panels; a bucket movably mounted in said container between said side panels and adjacent said loading end; bucket actuating means for moving said bucket between a refuse receiving position and a dumping position; a packer plate pivotally mounted in said container between said side panels substantially intermediate said storage compartment, and being movable to push refuse from said bucket into said storage compartment when said bucket is in said dumping position, and being further movable into said storage compartment to compact refuse therein and through said storage compartment to discharge refuse from said discharge end; and packer plate actuating means for moving said packer plate.

6. A refuse packer body in accordance with claim wherein: said bucket and said packer plate are each pivotally mounted on shafts journaled in said side panels, said roof extends from the pivotal mounting of said packer plate to said discharge end and said floor extends from the pivotal mounting of said bucket to said discharge end, said bucket when disposed in said refuse receiving position forming a floor between said side panels and being adapted to be raised through an arc to said dumping position by said bucket actuating means, and said packer plate normally closing the opening between said roof and said floor of said storage compartment but movable through an are by said packer plate actuating means to an upper position in which said storage compartment is open for direct access from said loading end.

7. A refuse packer body in accordance with claim 6 wherein the bottom of said bucket and said floor of said storage compartment are curved and are defined as segments of a circular cylinder having its axis at the pivotal mounting of said packer plate.

8. A refuse packer body in accordance with claim 6 together with a control system for said actuating means, which control system sequentially actuates said packer plate actuating means to move said packer plate to its upper position, actuates said bucket actuating means to move said bucket from its lower refuse receiving position to its upper dumping position, actuates said packer plate actuating means to move said packer plate downwardly through an arc to sweep refuse from said bucket into said storage compartment, and actuates said bucket actuating means to return said bucket to its lower refuse receiving position; said control system being further adapted to selec tively actuate said second actuable means to move said packer plate through an are into and through said storage compartment.

9. A refuse packer body in accordance with claim 8 wherein said control system includes means for stopping the actuation of each of said actuating means at any point in the cycle of their operation.

10. A refuse packer body in accordance with claim 8 together with a safety door on said container at said loading end, said safety door being movable between an open position in which access may be had to said bucket and a closed position closing said loading end, and means operable on said control system to prevent the operation of said control system to prevent the operation of said control system to raise said bucket when said safety door is not in its closed position, said means including a switch actuated by said safety door when the same is in its closed position.

11. A refuse packer body in accordance with claim 6 wherein said packer plate actuating means comprises a crank lever pivotally mounted on said shaft for said packer plate, a first toggle joint linkage connected between said packer plate and a first leg of said crank lever, a first hydraulic cylinder connected between the knee of such first linkage and a second leg of said crank lever and adapted to expand such first linkage to have the packer plate sweep said bucket when said first cylinder is extended, and a second hydraulic cylinder operable on said second leg of said crank lever to rotate said crank lever and, through said first linkage, to thereby rotate said packer plate into and through said storage compartment.

12. A refuse packer body in accordance with claim 11 together with a rigid member spanning said side panels at the top thereof and in the path of said second leg of said crank lever, said member accepting the reaction loads on said first linkage resulting from the force of compacting refuse into said storage compartment as said first linkage is extended.

13. A refuse packer body in accordance with claim 6 wherein said bucket actuating means comprises a toggle joint linkage connected between said bucket and said container and a hydraulic cylinder operable on the knee of such linkage to expand the linkage and raise said bucket when such hydraulic cylinder is extended.

14. An in-plant compactor body adapted for mounting on a mobile chassis, comprising: an enclosed container divided int-o a storage compartment and a loading compartment connected by a passage; said container having a discharge opening leading into said storage compartment and a loading opening leading into said loading compartment; a releasable door on said container normally closing said discharge opening; a second door on said container adapted to close said loading opening; a solid packer plate pivotally mounted in said container substantially intermediate said storage compartment, said packer plate normally closing said passage to seal said storage compartment and being movable to open said passage, to compact refuse from said loading compartment into said storage compartment, to reclose said passage and to sweep refuse from said storage compartment out through said discharge opening; and means for moving said packer plate.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,826,318 3/1958 Beasley 214-833 2,837,230 6/1958 Herterich 214-833 XR 3,230,868 1/1966 Smith 214-833 XR 3,232,463 2/1966 Weir 214-833 XR ALBERT J. MAKAY, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R.

52%; UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3,462, 031 Dated August 19, 1969 ln t flx) JAMES F. WEIR It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

Column 3, Line 34, for "spring" read springs Column 4, Line 3, for "to" (first occurrence) read in Column 6, Line 20, for "speeds" read spools Claim 3 Column 8, Lines 67-68, delete these lines and insert into and through said storage compartment.

Claim 5 Column 9, Line 3, after "by" insert a Claim 10 Column 10, Lines l-2, strike "to prevent the operation of said control system" Claim 11 Column 10, Line 8, strike "said" insert the SIGNED AN SEALED NDV 4 1959 (SEAL) Attest:

WILLIAM E- 'SClHUYLER, JR. L. Edward Fletcher Commissioner of Patents J Attesting Of ficcr 

